


Warmth

by hellacluttered



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 03:11:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10480797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellacluttered/pseuds/hellacluttered
Summary: Prompt: “You can lie to yourself, but don’t lie to me.”





	

    You pulled your knees up to your chest, wrapping yourself tighter in the heavy bear pelt you were now grateful you’d bought at the last trading post you and Vasquez had passed through, though the price seemed exorbitant at the time. You and he had been riding through the godforsaken plains of Wyoming for five days now and you were forgetting what it felt like to be warm. Your nose was constantly running and you couldn’t feel your fingers and toes most of the time. Once in awhile you miraculously warmed up, but now was not one of those times. The wind wrapped around you in an icy embrace and you ducked your head down, trying to shelter your face a little better. You glanced over at Vasquez, who, like you, was sitting as close to your little fire as it was possible to without setting your clothes in flames.

    “How’re you doing?” you asked Vasquez, your voice shaking from how hard your teeth were chattering.

    He had seemed lost in his thoughts until he heard the tone of your voice and immediately his brows drew together in concern. “I’m fine, but you….” He scooted closer, starting to pull off his own fur to give to you before you freed your hands and stopped him, tucking the pelt back around his shoulders.

    “I’m okay,” you said.

    He looked at you skeptically. “You don’t sound okay.”

    “You need it more than I do; I’ve been living in colder places than you my whole life,” you said.

    “Yes, but you’re the one shivering,” he pointed out. “Come, put this on.”

    “No, Vas,” you said firmly. “I’m not letting you get frostbite on my account. I’m warm enough.”

    He frowned. “You can lie to yourself, but don’t lie to me. You’re freezing.”

    You shrugged. “I’ve felt worse.”

    “No reason not to fix it if we can,” he said, and then moved to sit behind you, opening his pelt to wrap it around you too as he shifted yours to wrap around you from the front. He pulled you tight against him, his solid chest pressing against your back and his legs to either side of you. You did your best to ignore the way your heart instantaneously sped up. After just a few minutes, you started to feel his body heat seeping through your jacket, and it felt heavenly against your icy skin. Without thinking about it, you felt your stiff frame relax against him and he asked, “Better?”

    You nodded. “Thank you, Vasquez.”

    “You’re welcome.” Gradually your shivers stopped, leaving you feeling drained and exhausted. Your chin began to droop forward as you dozed off, but that opened a gap between you and Vasquez, which let in cold air, so he reached up and guided your head to rest against his shoulder, tipping slightly to the side until the top of your head rested against his neck. “You should sleep if you can.”

    “What about you?” you asked.

    “I’m not tired,” he said.

    “After this whole long day?” you asked. “I don’t think I’m the only one not telling the whole truth right now.”

    He chuckled, and you could feel the sound rumble in his chest. “Maybe.”

    “I doubt either of us needs to keep watch. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen any signs of anyone around,” you said. “You need to get some sleep.”

    “All right,” he said, and the pair of you shifted until you were lying down. You hadn’t thought it possible, but his body was tucked even tighter against yours than before and that dispelled some of your tiredness. His arm wrapped around you, keeping your body tight against his and you were about to tell him it was fine and you were warm enough when his hand slipped inside your coat, his fingers gently stroking your shoulder.

    “…Vas?”

    “You’re tense. You won’t fall asleep like this.”

     _Yeah, tense because of you._ “Oh.”

    His hand fell still. “Is this okay?”

    “I… Yeah.”

    “Are you sure? It doesn’t sound like it.”

    You swallowed hard. “I just-” you rolled over to face him, your words dying on your lips at the sudden proximity of your faces.

    “You what?” he asked, a playful twinkle sparking in his dark eyes.

    “I don’t know how to say it,” you said awkwardly, hoping the darkness was enough to hide the redness of your cheeks.

    “It’s not hard,” he said, reaching up to cup your cheek in one callused but surprisingly gentle hand. “Just speak.” He knew. He knew and he was okay with it. Your chest loosened, and you felt your heart, which was beating so hard you were sure Vasquez could feel it because of how close your chests were pressed together, begin to slow.

    “If you already know what I’m going to say, why do I have to say it?”

    “Because I want to hear it from your lips,” he said.

    You didn’t think about it, you just acted, leaning forward and pressing your chapped lips to his for just a moment. “There,” you said. “Straight from my lips. Your turn.”

    He laughed and then kissed you back, his lips warm and soft against yours, a welcome change from the freezing wind and the chafing of your scarf they had felt all week. The warmth didn’t stop there; you felt it just as much deep in your chest. “There,” he said when he drew back, giving you a fond smile. “Good night.”

  You tucked your head against his shoulder, warm and cozy your cocoon of furs and tangled limbs. “Good night.”


End file.
